A dazzling line-up of international musicians for Peasmarsh festival

The Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival returns for its fifth season with a dazzling line-up and programme.

Following in the footsteps of the Florestan Festival at Peasmarsh which ended in 2011, the Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival brings internationally renowned chamber musicians to Sussex each year for performances of some of the finest chamber music.

Co-directors Anthony Marwood and Richard Lester invite friends and fellow musicians to join them in a mix of well-known and more unusual chamber repertoire alongside new works. The concerts take place in St Peter and St Paul Church, Peasmarsh, along with a Friday night orchestral concert in St Mary’s Church, Rye. Tickets range from £15-£30 and there are several free concerts with something for everyone’s taste and pocket.

This year’s festival features a Great Chase with dramatic music inspired by the hunt, a French touch with works by Ravel and Fauré, an exploration of one of the biggest scandals in the history of music, Russian and Hungarian compositions (Shostakovich, Kodály, Bartók), all book-ended by Schumann’s two Piano Quartets.

Guests include violinist Carmit Zori, violist Lilli Maijala, cellist Christopher Richter as well as pianists Alexander Melnikov and Alasdair Beatson. The orchestral concert will see the prestigious London Mozart Players return under the baton of Jaime Martín and accompany Richard Lester performing Haydn’s D major concerto and Anthony Marwood performing Beethoven’s violin concerto. Continuing its work encouraging new and emerging artists, the festival is delighted to welcome the award-winning young Castalian String Quartet, who will perform several pieces and participate in our education workshops in local schools; the results of the latter will be showcased in a free education concert on Friday June 24.

Book on 01797 253178, or email peasmarshboxoffice@gmail.com, or by completing the booking form in the festival brochure with cheque to Sue Schlesinger, Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival, Strawberry Hole Oast, Ewhurst Lane, Northiam, TN31 6HJ; info at www.peasmarshfestival.co.uk